Champion of the Sun
by goldleaves
Summary: Another entry for the PPF at Goldenlake. /Kel x Mithros/ The Gods need a champion, and the sun-god needs a love


It is said that the sun is the dominion of Mithros, that the sun is Mithros, the God of War and Light and Power, greatest of all Gods, ruler of all Gods, equal in power only to his sister The Great Mother Goddess.

Over thousands of years people have fought for power, using the name of this great God and for thousands of years people have died under the name of this God, and all have paid him respect.

That was until the Gods sent the Immortals back into the Realm of the Gods and placed a barrier around them - and then the Immortals grew angry with their holy keepers.

The Minotaurs roared, and the Stormwings hissed and the Basilisks glared and they banded together, despite their old hatred and their old aggrievences and they marched on the God's Realms.

With a cheer they smote lesser God after lesser God, sending them down and injured and into the care of those who prayed to them; those who had been the protectors and the healers were now in need of protectors and healers - they were weak.

In despair, they Greater Gods left the Human Realm to their own devices and settled into council, a council like no other - for they were fighting for their own lives.

"What shall we do, brother mine?" asked The Great Mother, her emerald eyes piercing as always but filled with a great sadness that no human could ever comprehend.

"We shall fight, they must learn that we are the Gods and they are merely mortals with longer lives"

"But how, dear Brother" came the sarcastic tone of Kyprioth, draped in the finery of the Copper Isles, his fingers covered in multitudes of jewels, and a crow on his shoulder - who wore a particularly ugly necklace around it's neck, "How can we do that when they have somehow perfected the method of seriously injuring a God?"

"I think the more important question is - how did they learn how to do such a thing?" was the soft spoken reply of Ganiel, the Dream-Lord.

And there was uneasy silence around the council as they all pondered this point, until the Graveyard Hag - a small bent-over woman with long stringy grey hair and beady black eyes spoke,  
"If they think they can defeat us, we must make sure that they can't get to us - defeat them before they march on our realms"

"How?" Ganiel said, and the Graveyard Hag looked to Kyprioth and they shared identical grins and all knew that their plan was something that they would most likely not agree to,

"Humans"

"What!" exclaimed The Great Mother, "We can not bring mortals into the affairs of the Gods! they shall certainly perish"

"The affairs of the Gods are the affairs of mortals - for if we perish so will their way of lives and the world as we know it shall be unbalanced" came a deep and calm voice from under the great black hood of the Black God, the God of Death.

"Our brother is right, without us to defend the mortal realms Chaos will reign supreme and most shall certainly die" Mithros said, "But who shall we choose?"

"I have a champion - she is skilled and knowledgeable about the Gods-" started The Great Mother, but she was stopped by Kyprioth,

"And she has grand-children, we need a champion who is young but of a good heart"

"Who would you choose then?"

And Kyprioth remained silent and the Gods looked over the mortal realms searching for a suitable Champion until The Black God spoke once more,

"I know of a mortal who is capable of many great things"

"And who is this mortal who has impressed you so?" asked Mithros,

"The one known as Keladry of Mindelan - she has been chosen once before as a Champion, except by a different being"

"By Who? may I ask" spoke Kyprioth

"The old one, that goes by the name of the Chamber of the Ordeal, she was chosen to rid the world of that Mage of the Souls"

"She would be worthy, and she is capable, what do you think brother?" The Great Mother asked,

"If she is as pure as you think than she shall be chosen to bear the sun-shield"

"And the moon-sword" added The Great Mother

"And the Black-cloak" spoke the Black God and all were agreed that Keladry of Mindelan would be the champion, and so she was chosen and as she appeared in the Realm of the Gods in the great council of the greater Gods all waited anxiously to see their protector.

As she appeared they were able to see her short brown hair, pulled tightly off her face, her hazel eyes that glittered with gold and the rough but fine working clothes that she wore with pride.

She looked at them in confusion before realizing who they were and gracefully moved into a bow before the Gods, but the Black God who was infinite in kindness and knowledge about the human souls who he took to his realm lifted her head gently and placed his cloak upon her shoulders, and despite the shadow which was his features Keladry knew that there was a gentle smile upon his face and she returned the smile.

"Keladry of Mindelan, you have been chosen as the Champion of the Gods, do you accept you role as defender and warrior and do you promise to serve us to the best of your capabilities?" spoke the Great Mother, and Kel looked to her for a moment and saw the immense sadness in her eyes before dropping her gaze and moving to the bright and golden figure at her side.

Mithros was the sun, he was golden and bright and warm, while also being dangerous and fiery and the very image of him sent her mind reeling and her heart pounding and gave her the courage she needed,

"I do"

"Then take my sword, it will be as bright and as light as a moon beam and it shall guide your way on the darkest of journeys" and the Great Mother gently pressed the hilt of a great silver sword into her hand, and it was as light a feather despite being made for the strength of a God, and Keladry watched as it shrunk to the size of her own sword.

And then Mithros stepped forth, a great golden shield, with a red sun in the centre of it shining out red and gold and silver rays, and he placed it on her shield arm and spoke thusly,

"Take my shield, for it will bear any sword and any axe and it will be like fire on their skin and light on your arm" and Kel could feel the gentle brush of his fingers on her arm as he secured it to her and she shivered inside at the raw power that she felt from him and as she was guided from the room by Kyprioth, who was to tell her about what she was to do, she felt his eyes boring into her back.

She was met on the battlefield by a Stormwing, who wore a cloak of mixing and changing colours and his eyes were red and wild,

"Step aside, mortal or you shall die"

"You shall not pass"

And the stormwing hissed and he attacked her, and soon stormwing after stormwing, and minotaur after minotaur was upon her, clawing and scratching and screaming but with the help of the Gods gifts she defeated them one by one, until all were dead.

With a pain-filled sigh she dropped to the floor, clutching at her sides in order to staunch the blood flow and to relieve some of the dizziness and nausea but before she could recover enough to return to the Gods there was a sickening crack in the rock that she was leaning on and she found herself falling into a swirling changing colour chasm and she landed with a thud in what looked to be a training ring - except that it kept changing.

On the other side of the Ring stood a figure, whose teeth were yellowed and her eyes red but her features were twisting and constantly morphing into something hideous.

"Keladry of Mindelan" her voice was like ice, chilling and sickening and it made her cover her ears and shut her eyes in an attempt to keep it out. "I am Chaos ... and you will die here, I've waited for far too long for some mortal to stop me"

"You'll never get out"

And Chaos let out a terrible laugh that made the very earth quake and crack underneath them,

"Oh, yes I will - how can a mere mortal defeat me? when even Gods have fallen to my power?" and with another chilling cackle she burst forward and Kel was only just able to move the shield up in time, blocking her blow,

"So that's how you defeated my army... you're the champion of the sun - how ... nice" she sneered raising her twisted and malicious sword above her head and Kel parried it with the moon-sword.

And they fought for hours, in the ever changing ring - sometimes it was like in a field of Tortall that was filled with bodies and sometimes it was a rat pit - horrible and gruesome but still they fought on.

Dropping to her knees in exhaustion, Kel looked up at Chaos, who stood victorious over her and with a twisted smirk she raised her sword above her head ready to end Kel's life, but Kel plunged forward the moon-sword into the stomach of Chaos and she shuddered to the ground in silent screams. Waves of energy, destructive and chaotic energy ripped from her skin and hit Kel and their surroundings and the last thing that Kel saw and felt was the immense pain upon her skin and a blinding purple light in front of her eyes.

She was warm, she felt the sun beating down upon her skin like an old friend and the comfort of the light after being trapped in the Realms of Chaos for hours. With a yawn she stretched and opened her eyes to find herself once more in a beautifully carved room.

Sitting by her side was Mithros and he was staring at her once more, a hidden emotion behind his bright eyes.

"Welcome Keladry ... you have done well" his voice was deep and soft and gentle - like the purring of a great cat it relaxed her.

"Thank you"

"We will not forget all that you have done for us - I shall not forget what you have done for me" and Kel got the impression that he was trying to tell her something, "You are the most interesting mortal I have ever met"

"How so. .. may I ask?" and his face broke into a grin that was like the sun that was his dominion, and it once more thawed her heart.

"You risked your life for ours ... not many could do such a thing"

"Thank you, My Lord" and he tilted his head slightly in recognition before standing and saying, "Rest Keladry of Mindelan - you have done well" and she once more fell into a deep and comfortable sleep.

* * *

Three months after she had returned from the Realms of the Gods, she had been released from her duty as a knight in the Scanran war and she travelled widely looking for a place where she could think and be alone - after leaving Tobe with Neal, with the promise that she would be back by Midwinter - she eventually found herself camped on the edges of the desert.

One morning she awoke to find that it was far brighter than she had expected it to be, rubbing her eyes she exited the tent to find that there was a bright glowing figure standing on a dune near where she was camped - It was Mithros.

"Come to me, my Champion" and she did so, stopping at his side as he overlooked the bleak but beautiful land of the Bazhir. Sensing her there - but not actually looking at her, he took her hand into hers and placed a gentle and warm kiss onto her hand before clutching it to his chest.

"Since we last met, it seems that all I can think about is you, I do not know why. But I am not afraid" he turned to her and looked into her eyes and she could see the fiery depths of his heart and the gentle warmness that he had for her - he would always protect her from his anger, he would always protect her from the danger of the world, "Tell me you feel the same way - tell me now, for if you don't I shall leave now and I shall not bother you, but I will always care and watch over you"

"I do" and he placed a gentle kiss upon her lips, and clutched her hand closer to his heart - and she could feel that his heartbeat was in the exact same time as hers.  
**  
The End.**


End file.
